DNA: The Secret of Life [Paperback]

James D. Watson (Author), Andrew Berry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 17, 2004

Fifty years ago, James D. Watson, then just twentyfour, helped launch the greatest ongoing scientific quest of our time. Now, with unique authority and sweeping vision, he gives us the first full account of the genetic revolution—from Mendel’s garden to the double helix to the sequencing of the human genome and beyond.
Watson’s lively, panoramic narrative begins with the fanciful speculations of the ancients as to why “like begets like” before skipping ahead to 1866, when an Austrian monk named Gregor Mendel first deduced the basic laws of inheritance. But genetics as we recognize it today—with its capacity, both thrilling and sobering, to manipulate the very essence of living things—came into being only with the rise of molecular investigations culminating in the breakthrough discovery of the structure of DNA, for which Watson shared a Nobel prize in 1962. In the DNA molecule’s graceful curves was the key to a whole new science.

Having shown that the secret of life is chemical, modern genetics has set mankind off on a journey unimaginable just a few decades ago. Watson provides the general reader with clear explanations of molecular processes and emerging technologies. He shows us how DNA continues to alter our understanding of human origins, and of our identities as groups and as individuals. And with the insight of one who has remained close to every advance in research since the double helix, he reveals how genetics has unleashed a wealth of possibilities to alter the human condition—from genetically modified foods to genetically modified babies—and transformed itself from a domain of pure research into one of big business as well. It is a sometimes topsy-turvy world full of great minds and great egos, driven by ambitions to improve the human condition as well as to improve investment portfolios, a world vividly captured in these pages.

Facing a future of choices and social and ethical implications of which we dare not remain uninformed, we could have no better guide than James Watson, who leads us with the same bravura storytelling that made The Double Helix one of the most successful books on science ever published. Infused with a scientist’s awe at nature’s marvels and a humanist’s profound sympathies, DNA is destined to become the classic telling of the defining scientific saga of our age.


From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

What makes DNA different from hordes of competitors purporting to help readers understand genetics is that it is written by none other than James Watson, of Watson and Crick fame. He and his co-author Andrew Berry have produced a clear and easygoing history of genetics, from Mendel through genome sequencing. Watson offers readers a sense of immediacy, a behind-the scenes familiarity with some of the most exciting developments in modern science. He gleefully reports on the research juggernaut that led to current obsessions with genetic engineering and cloning. Aided by profuse illustrations and photos, Watson offers an enthusiastic account of how scientists figured out how DNA codes for the creation of proteins--the so-called "central dogma" of genetics. But as patents and corporations enter the picture, Watson reveals his concern about the incursions of business into the hallowed halls of science.

After 1975, DNA was no longer solely the concern of academics trying to understand the molecular underpinnings of life. The molecule moved beyond the cloisters of white-coated scientists into a very different world populated largely by men in silk ties and sharp suits.

In later chapters, Watson aims barbs at those who are concerned by genetic tinkering, calling them "alarmists" who don't understand how the experiments work. It is in these arguments that Watson may lose favor with those whose notions of science were born after Silent Spring. Nevertheless, DNA encompasses both sides of the political issues involved in genetics, and Watson is an enthusiastic proponent of debate on the subject. The book accompanies a 5-part PBS series. --Therese Littleton --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Who better than James Watson to lead a guided tour of DNA? When he and his English colleague, Francis Crick, discovered the double helix structure of the DNA molecule in 1953, little could they imagine that a mere 50 years later scientists would be putting the finishing touches on a map of the human genome. In this magisterial work, Watson, who won the Nobel Prize with Crick for their discovery, guides readers through the startling and rapid advances in genetic technology and what these advances will mean for our lives. Watson covers all aspects of the genome, from the layout of four simple bases on the DNA molecule through their complex construction into genes, then to the mechanisms whereby proteins produced by genes create our uniquely human characteristics-as well as the genetic mutations that can cause illnesses or inherited diseases like Duchenne muscular dystrophy and Huntington's disease. Watson may have mellowed a little over the years since he displayed his youthful brashness in The Double Helix, but he still isn't shy about taking on controversial subjects. He criticizes biotech corporations for patenting genes, making diagnostic medical procedures horribly expensive and damping further basic research. He notes that while China and other countries with large populations to feed have eagerly grasped the potential of genetically modified foodstuffs, America squandered $100 million on a recall of taco shells and the genetically modified corn used in them. He pleads passionately for the refinement and widespread use of prenatal genetic testing. Watson will probably provoke the most controversy with his criticism of scientists, corporations and government funding sources for their avoidance of important areas of research-notably the genetics of skin coloration-for political reasons. Every reader who wants to understand their own medical future will want to read this book. 100 color and b&w illus.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Knopf (August 17, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375710078
• ISBN-13: 978-0375710070
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 0.9 x 8.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #698,672 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

73 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Read for the Armchair Scientist, May 15, 2003

By 

Eric P. Neff - See all my reviews

This review is from: DNA: The Secret of Life (Hardcover)

If you are interested in the science of genetics (What exactly is a gene? How does DNA work? How does genetic fingerprinting work? How do they do that?) then this book is for you. If, on the other hand, you are interested in the social implications of genetics (Is genetic profiling ethical? Should we be exploring gene therapy? Does genetic testing of fetuses promote abortion? What good is the human genome project?), then this book is ALSO for you.

Indeed, one might criticize this book for having an identity crisis as to whether it is about science or ethics. However, I have come to realize that in genetics, perhaps more than in any other discipline, science and social issues are inexorably linked. Even so, while I found the book fascinating from cover to cover (almost), I would have to say that it tends to be disjointed in places, leaping from subject to subject a little haphazardly. It is almost as if the writer was ticking off items on his "things to write about" list. As such, the book loses its cohesion from time to time. For example, a chapter on the early Soviet Union's biology program is wedged in between accounts of recent searches for pernicious genes and studies of twins.

But this is a minor point. Mr. Watson is not only a top notch scientist, he is an excellent writer. Although the chapter on Soviet biology left me scratching my head, it was amusing, interesting and well-written, as was the rest of the book. And for that, I can forgive a great deal. The proof is in the pudding. Over the last few days, I have engaged a number of colleagues, as well as my wife, in discussions on genetics issues and have found that this book has greatly enriched my understanding of the field and reinforced my interest in the subject. It's also worth pointing out that if you are in the process of building a family, this book is full of the kind of scientific background that will hold you in good stead as you examine options like genetic testing, in-vitro fertilization and the implications of family histories of disease.

I will levy only one direct criticism about this book. It tends to wander aimlessly toward the end. It is almost as if Mr. Watson couldn't decide how to end it, so he chose to do so multiple times. The result is a rather off-putting set of diatribes espousing the author's agnostic and highly utilitarian approach to the subject. (Incidentally, those of you on or near the religious right will find plenty of fodder here.) Not that I minded hearing the author's views, it's just that "I got it already."

However, this is a minor taint to an otherwise excellent book about the science and ethics of genetics. For you armchair scientists out there, I would put this one toward the top of the "to read" stack.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lives up to the reputation of his name, January 7, 2005

By 

D. Sean West (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: DNA: The Secret of Life (Hardcover)

The names of Watson & Crick are one of those things that just seems to stick in everyone's head no matter how little they paid attention in school (kind of like the term onomatopoeia) so of course seeing a book written about DNA by James Watson of Watson & Crick fame set alarms going off in my head. I had high expectations of the book because of the author's intimate acquaintance with the subject but they were all surpassed and furthermore I was surprised by how enjoyable a read this book was and how nonthreatening Watson, along with his coauthor Andrew Berry, was able to present his subject matter.

The actual science in this book doesn't really go on beyond what one would lean in a freshman college or an advanced high school biology class but in presenting the science embedded in it's historical background DNA: The Secret of Life allows the reader to look at it again with new eyes, showing them not as the establish beachhead we believe those areas to be today but rather viewing them with the novelty and excitement they were initially greeted by.

But the actual metabolic functions of life's most important structure, DNA, comprises only a fractional portion of this book with the majority instead devoting much of it to the questions that possessing such knowledge raises. Genetically altered crops, reproductive implications, the question of `ownership' of sequenced genetic information-these are the true questions of the book. Watson, while possessing a very strong since of what he believe to be right and wrong in these different areas manages to be unambiguous about his views while at the same time not coming across as too much of a zealous so as to seem intractable.

Not only is this a great book by one of the most known names in the biological sciences but it is also written in a clear and engaging style which makes it such a great retreat to sit down and read for an afternoon.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tells the big picture., March 20, 2006

By 

Andrew Kendrick (Lake City, FL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: DNA: The Secret of Life (Hardcover)

This book was a lot of fun to read and I really felt like I learned a lot after I finished. The book talks about genetically modified food and how there was such an outcry by the public when it first came in to the market. People didn't want to eat "Frankestien food". He explains why many things people think are bad about recombinant DNA (putting the DNA of one organism into another) are just misconceptions and that there is more potential for good than bad when it comes to recombinant DNA.
The book did get a little boring for me when it came to the chapter on the human genome project though, but that was the only chapter that wasn't interesting to me.
Even people with a strong science schooling will learn things they did not know from this book. I am a third year biology major and learned a lot. There may be some parts that are difficult to understand if you haven't taken a few science classes, but the book is still worth reading.
If you are a religious person you might get upset by this book because Watson treats evolution as truth and bases quite a bit of reasoning on it. He doesn't try to hide the fact that he is an atheist, but does criticize the religious a little with his tone. (I personally am not religious.)